World champion Mark de Jonge inspires Maskwa paddlers

Mark de Jonge is seen at a event where he dedicated his kayak from the 2012 London Olympics to the Maskwa Paddling Club in Halifax. (ADRIEN VECZAN / Staff)

Less than a week after winning gold at the ICF canoe sprint world championships in Moscow, Halifax’s Mark de Jonge had words of inspiration for 31 young paddlers heading to the national championships in Regina.

“Expect big things and try your best and enjoy the moment,” de Jonge said in an interview Friday just before he was feted at a celebration at the Maskwa Aquatic Club in Halifax.

“Even if you’re not winning medals or doing what you feel you could achieve, see everything as a learning experience,” he said.

“Depending on how far you want to take it, it’s all going to add up at the end of the day and contribute to something bigger.”

The red, white and black kayak de Jonge used to win a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics in London hangs on a wall in Maskwa’s Heritage Hall.

“I put that up on the wall, I figured it would be really exciting for the kids to see that as a reminder that you can actually make it to the Olympics,” de Jonge told reporters.

“So, hopefully they can see that and get inspired every day just walking by.”

Friday’s event also included a corn boil as a fundraiser to help offset the estimated $75,000 in costs to compete in the Canadian sprint canoe-kayak championships, which get underway Tuesday in Regina.

This will be Bret Himmelman’s first time canoeing in the nationals.

“This is absolutely huge for me; this is the reason why we get up at 6 o’clock in the morning to go to practice and we train our butts off every day for,” Himmelman said.

“But this is what we’ve been working for for the past 12 months.”

Himmelman said it’s an honour being in the same club as de Jonge.

“What he’s done for our country and our club itself is absolutely huge. He’s a big role model around here.

“Just the way he trains out there. … We see him training out on the water, he gives 100 per cent every single stroke.”

Fellow paddler Eric Harnish said de Jonge has set high standards.

“A world champion from a small club is pretty sweet,” said Harnish, who recently switched to Maskwa from another club.

He said watching de Jonge win gold at the world championships last Sunday proved to him that he does not have to set limits — he can go as far as he wants if he trains hard.

This will be Harnish’s fourth time competing in the nationals. While at his previous club, he won nine national medals — five gold and four silver.